BAY CITY, MI — Nearly 20 percent of Bay County voters showed up at the polls on Tuesday, Aug. 5, to cast their ballots in the primary election. It's a number that officials say is better than expected.

Cynthia Luczak, Bay County Clerk

"This was better than I thought it was going to be," said Bay County Clerk Cynthia Luczak. "Looking at the big picture, it's probably some of the local issues that brought people out at the end of the day."

The Bay County Board of Canvassers begin certifying Tuesday's election results at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 6, at the Bay County Building, 515 Center Ave. in downtown Bay City. That process typically takes five business days, said Luczak. During that time frame, candidates can file for a recount at a cost of $10 per precinct.

There are about 80,000 registered voters in Bay County. Of the 15,538 ballots cast in the county, 7,083 were for Republican party candidates, 7,411 were for the Democratic candidates, and 1,044 were nonpartisan.

Luczak said voters need to be encouraged to participate in future primary elections.

"We'll have as high as 80 to 85 percent in the general election," she said. "But in two years, we'll have a primary again, and we should stress to our voters that the primaries are important, too."